Determination of Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora) Resistance in Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Cultivars and Genotypes Using Biochemical Indicators
Year 2026,
Volume: 55 Issue: 1
,
-
,
19.03.2026
Ahmet Kürşat Ölmez
,
Yasemin Evrenosoğlu
,
Elif Mine Öncü Kaya
,
Emre Akkurt
Abstract
Pear (Pyrus communis L.) production worldwide exceeds 26 million tons, with over 70% of this production occurring in China. The most significant disease that seriously reduces pear yield is fire blight, caused by the bacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora. In terms of disease resistance, it is known that biochemical characteristics such as phenolic compounds play an important role in addition to the genetic characteristics of the variety.
This study aimed to compare the resistance levels of fire blight disease-resistant genotypes and susceptible cultivars using certain chemical analyses. According to the results, average the soluble solid content (SSC) ratio and pH value were found to be statistically significantly higher in resistant genotypes, while the total phenol value, catechin, and arbutin amounts were also found to be higher in resistant genotypes compared to susceptible cultivars. On the other hand, although titratable acidity (TA), total flavonoid and chlorogenic acid content were higher in susceptible varieties compared to resistant varieties, the results were not statistically significant. Among all cultivars and genotypes, genotype II-14-37 was found to have the highest values for total phenol, total flavonoid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, and arbutin content compared to the others. These results indicate that phenolic compounds play an important role in the resistance mechanism against fire blight in pears and that catechin and arbutin levels, in particular, can be used as potential biochemical indicators. Furthermore, SSC and pH values can also be added to these results as appropriate biochemical analyses.
Ethical Statement
This study utilizes data from the MSc. thesis titled “Determination of the Susceptibility of Some Pear Varieties and Genotypes to Fire Blight Disease Using Chemical Analysis,” conducted by Ahmet Kürşat Ölmez at the Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture. The study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Commission (BAP) of Eskişehir Osmangazi University under project number 202023A101.
Supporting Institution
ESOGÜ BAP
Project Number
ESOGÜ BAP 202023A101
References
-
Bernoville, T. D., Gaucher, M., Guyot, S., Durel, C. E., Dat, J. F., Brisset, M. N., (2011). The constitutive phenolic composition of two Malus×domestica genotypes is not responsible for their contrasted susceptibilities to fire blight. Environmental and experimental botany, 74, 65-73.
-
Bhattacharya, A., Sood, P., & Citovsky, V., (2010). The roles of plant phenolics in defence and communication during Agrobacterium and Rhizobium infection. Molecular plant pathology, 11(5), 705-719.
-
Boyraz, N., & Sürel, B., (2004). Roles of phenolics in plant diseases resistance. Selçuk Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 18(34), 56-69.
-
Etienne, A., Génard, M., Lobit, P., Mbeguié-A-Mbéguié, D., & Bugaud, C., (2013). What controls fleshy fruit acidity? A review of malate and citrate accumulation in fruit cells. Journal of experimental botany, 64(6), 1451-1469.
-
Evrenosoğlu, Y., (2002). Determination of Phenolic Compounds and Mineral Nutrients in Some Pear Cultivars Resistant and Susceptible to Fire Blight. E.Ü. Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ph. D. Thesis, 188 p, İzmir.
-
FAO, (2025). Food and Agricultural Organization, (https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL), (Erişim tarihi Aralık 2025).
-
Hildebrand, D. C., and Schroth, M. N., (1963). Relation of arbutin-hydroquinone in pear blossoms to invasion by E. amylovora. Nature, 197(4866), 513-513.
-
İçli, N., (2017). Determination of Total Phenolic Compounds, Total Antıoxidant Capacity and Total Flavonoid Compounds in Apple Sour. Health Academy Kastamonu, 2(2), 89-99.
-
Karacif, E., (2012). Determination of Levelsl of Some antioxidative Enzymes After Infection with Erwinia amylovora of Apple and Pear Varieties, Selçuk Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Bitki Koruma Anabilim Dalı, MSc. Thesis, 63 p., Konya
-
Karaçalı, İ., (2002). Bahçe Ürünlerinin Muhafazası ve Pazarlanması. Ege Üni. Ziraat Fakültesi Yayınları No:494, İzmir.
-
Kırca, S., and Kırca, L., (2025). Gürağaç Village, Giresun (Türkiye) Determination of Phenotypic Diversity in Wild Pear Genotypes by Pomological and Biochemical Analyses. In Biology and Life Sciences Forum (Vol. 51, No. 1, p. 5). MDPI.
-
Kundu, A., and Vadassery, J., (2019). Chlorogenic acid‐mediated chemical defence of plants against insect herbivores. Plant Biology, 21(2), 185-189.
-
Layne, E. C., Quamme, H. A., (1975). Advances in Fruit Breeding, By Jules Janick and James Moore, Purdue Unıversty Press, West Lafayette, Indiana, p. 38-70.
-
Lin, D., Xiao, M., Zhao, J., Li, Z., Xing, B., Li, X., & Chen, S., (2016). An overview of plant phenolic compounds and their importance in human nutrition and management of type 2 diabetes. Molecules, 21(10), 1374.
-
Martínez, G., Regente, M., Jacobi, S., Del Rio, M., Pinedo, M., & de la Canal, L., (2017). Chlorogenic acid is a fungicide active against phytopathogenic fungi. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 140, 30-35.
-
Mierziak, J., Kostyn, K., & Kulma, A., (2014). Flavonoids as important molecules of plant interactions with the environment. Molecules, 19(10), 16240-16265.
-
Mirik., (2000). Fire Blight of Pome Fruits (Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al.) and Search for Resistant or Tolerant Cultivars in Amasya and Tokat Regions in Turkey. Trakya Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, MSc. Thesis, 82 p, Tekirdağ.
-
Nicholson, R. L., and Hammerschmidt, R., (1992). Phenolic compounds and their role in disease resistance. Annual review of phytopathology, 30(1), 369-389.
Ninkuu, V., Yan, J., Fu, Z., Yang, T., Ziemah, J., Ullrich, M. S. & Zeng, H., (2022). Lignin and its pathway-associated phytoalexins modulate plant defense against fungi. Journal of Fungi, 9(1), 52.
-
Núñez-Lillo, G., Lillo-Carmona, V., Pérez-Donoso, A. G., Pedreschi, R., Campos-Vargas, R., & Meneses, C., (2024). Fruit sugar hub: gene regulatory network associated with soluble solids content (SSC) in Prunus persica. Biological Research, 57.
-
Ölmez, A.K., (2022). Determinatıon of Fire Blight Susceptibility of Some Pear Varieties and Genotypes by Chemical Analysis, ESOGÜ. Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, MSc Thesis, 50p, Eskişehir.
-
Paulson, K. N., and Stevens, M. A., (1974). Relationships among titratable acidity, pH and buffer composition of tomato fruits. Journal of Food Science, 39(2), 354-357.
-
Peil, A., Bus, V. G., Geider, K., Richter, K., Flachowsky, H., & Hanke, M. V., (2009). Improvement of fire blight resistance in apple and pear. Int J Plant Breed, 3(1), 1-27.
-
Polat, M., Okatan, V., Güçlü, S.F., Çolak, A.M., (2018). Determination of Some Chemical Characteristics and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Apple Varieties Grown in Posof/Ardahan Region. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Food Sciences, 2018, 2(4): 131-134.
-
Pu, Y., Cai, F., Wang, D., Wang, J. X., Chen, J. F., (2018). Colloidal synthesis of semiconductor quantum dots toward large-scale production: a review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(6), 1790-1802.
-
Ramaroson, M. L., Koutouan, C. E., Ghaziri, A. E., Baltenweck, R., Claudel, P., Hugueney, P., & Geoffriau, E., (2025). Flavonoid compounds as a way to identify sources of carrot resistance to Alternaria leaf blight. Molecular Breeding, 45(6), 55.
-
Selçuk, N., Erkan, M., (2016). Impact of Passive Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Physicochemical Properties, Bioactive Compounds, and Quality Attributes of Sweet Pomegranates, Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 40(4): 475-488.
-
Skłodowska, M., Mikiciński, A., Wielanek, M., Kuźniak, E., Sobiczewski, P., (2018). Phenolic profiles in apple leaves and the efficacy of selected phenols against fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), Eur J Plant Pathol (2018) 151:213–228.
-
Sobiczewski, P., Deckers, T., Pulawska, J., (1997). Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora), Some Aspects of Epidemiology and Control. Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture Skierniewice, Poland, 84 p.
-
Spinola, V., Mendes, B., Camara, J.S., Castilho, P.C., (2013). Effect of Time and Temperature on Vitamin C Stability in Horticultural Extracts, UHPLC-PDA vs Iodometric Titration as Analytical Methods, LWT-Food Science ve Technology, 50(2): 489-495.
-
Thibault, B., Lecomp, P., Hermann, L., Belouin, A., (1987). Assesment of the Susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora of the 90 Varieties or Selections of Pear, Acta Hort., 217, 305-309.
-
Thibault, B., Lezec, M.L., (1990). Agrimed research programme. Fireblight of Pomoidae (E. amylovora Burrill, Winslow et. al.), Applied Research in Europe (1978-88) EUR-12601, 96-109.
-
Ullah, C., Unsicker, S. B., Fellenberg, C., Constabel, C. P., Schmidt, A., Gershenzon, J., & Hammerbacher, A., (2017). Flavan-3-ols are an effective chemical defense against rust infection. Plant physiology, 175(4), 1560-1578.
-
Yadav, V., Wang, Z., Wei, C., Amo, A., Ahmed, B., Yang, X., & Zhang, X., (2020). Phenylpropanoid pathway engineering: An emerging approach towards plant defense. Pathogens 9 (4): 312.
-
Yin, H., Wu, J., Fan, J., Xu, L., Zhang, W., Li, Q. & Zhang, S., (2024). Profiling of soluble sugar compositions in mature fruits of a diverse pear (Pyrus spp.) germplasm by UPLC. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 132, 106281.
-
Wallis, C. M., & Galarneau, E. R. A., (2020). Phenolic compound induction in plant-microbe and plant-insect interactions: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in plant science, 11, 580753.
-
Wang, D., Lu, Q., Jin, S., Fan, X., & Ling, H., (2023). Pectin, lignin and disease resistance in Brassica napus L.: an update. Horticulturae, 9(1), 112.
-
Xu, L., & Wang, X., (2025). A Comprehensive Review of Phenolic Compounds in Horticultural Plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(12), 5767.
-
Xu, Y., Zhang, T., Mu, S., Peng, Y., Wu, D., Yang, L. & Zhang, J., (2025). Discovery of Arbutin as Novel Potential Antiviral Agent Against Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(7), 3967-3976.
Armut (Pyrus communis L.) Çeşit ve Genotiplerinde Ateş Yanıklığı (Erwinia amylovora) Hastalığına Dayanıklılığın Biyokimyasal Göstergeler Kullanılarak Belirlenmesi
Year 2026,
Volume: 55 Issue: 1
,
-
,
19.03.2026
Ahmet Kürşat Ölmez
,
Yasemin Evrenosoğlu
,
Elif Mine Öncü Kaya
,
Emre Akkurt
Abstract
Armut (Pyrus communis L.) üretimi dünya genelinde 26 milyon tonun üzerindedir ve bu üretimin yaklaşık %70'den fazlası Çin'de gerçekleştirilmektedir. Armut verimini ciddi anlamda düşüren en önemli hastalık ise bakteriyel bir etmen olan Erwinia amylovora'nın neden olduğu ateş yanıklığıdır. Hastalığa dayanıklılık durumunda, çeşidin genetik özelliklerinin yanı sıra fenolik maddeler gibi biyokimyasal özelliklerin de önemli rol oynadığı bilinmektedir.
Bu çalışmada, ateş yanıklığı hastalığına dayanıklı genotipler ve duyarlı çeşitlerdeki dayanıklılık durumlarının bazı kimyasal analizlerle karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre; dayanıklı genotiplerde ortalama suda çözünebilir kuru madde (SÇKM) oranı ve pH değeri istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunurken, toplam fenol değeri, kateşin ve arbutin miktarları da dayanıklı genotiplerde duyarlı çeşitlere göre yüksek bulunmuştur. Öte yandan, TA miktarı, toplam flavonoid ve klorogenik asit miktarı ise duyarlı çeşitlerde dayanıklılara göre daha yüksek sonuç vermesine rağmen sonuçlar istatistiksel olarak önemli bulunmamıştır. Tüm çeşit ve genotipler arasında, II-14-37 numaralı genotipin, toplam fenol, toplam flavonoid, klorogenik asit, kateşin ve arbutin miktarları bakımından diğerlerine göre en yüksek değerlere sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuçlar, fenolik bileşiklerin armutta ateş yanıklığına karşı dayanıklılık mekanizmasında önemli rol oynadığını ve özellikle kateşin ve arbutin seviyelerinin potansiyel biyokimyasal göstergeler olarak kullanılabileceğini, ayrıca SÇKM ve pH değerlerinin de uygun biyokimyasal analizler olarak bu sonuçlara eklenebileceğini işaret etmektedir.
Project Number
ESOGÜ BAP 202023A101
References
-
Bernoville, T. D., Gaucher, M., Guyot, S., Durel, C. E., Dat, J. F., Brisset, M. N., (2011). The constitutive phenolic composition of two Malus×domestica genotypes is not responsible for their contrasted susceptibilities to fire blight. Environmental and experimental botany, 74, 65-73.
-
Bhattacharya, A., Sood, P., & Citovsky, V., (2010). The roles of plant phenolics in defence and communication during Agrobacterium and Rhizobium infection. Molecular plant pathology, 11(5), 705-719.
-
Boyraz, N., & Sürel, B., (2004). Roles of phenolics in plant diseases resistance. Selçuk Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 18(34), 56-69.
-
Etienne, A., Génard, M., Lobit, P., Mbeguié-A-Mbéguié, D., & Bugaud, C., (2013). What controls fleshy fruit acidity? A review of malate and citrate accumulation in fruit cells. Journal of experimental botany, 64(6), 1451-1469.
-
Evrenosoğlu, Y., (2002). Determination of Phenolic Compounds and Mineral Nutrients in Some Pear Cultivars Resistant and Susceptible to Fire Blight. E.Ü. Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ph. D. Thesis, 188 p, İzmir.
-
FAO, (2025). Food and Agricultural Organization, (https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL), (Erişim tarihi Aralık 2025).
-
Hildebrand, D. C., and Schroth, M. N., (1963). Relation of arbutin-hydroquinone in pear blossoms to invasion by E. amylovora. Nature, 197(4866), 513-513.
-
İçli, N., (2017). Determination of Total Phenolic Compounds, Total Antıoxidant Capacity and Total Flavonoid Compounds in Apple Sour. Health Academy Kastamonu, 2(2), 89-99.
-
Karacif, E., (2012). Determination of Levelsl of Some antioxidative Enzymes After Infection with Erwinia amylovora of Apple and Pear Varieties, Selçuk Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Bitki Koruma Anabilim Dalı, MSc. Thesis, 63 p., Konya
-
Karaçalı, İ., (2002). Bahçe Ürünlerinin Muhafazası ve Pazarlanması. Ege Üni. Ziraat Fakültesi Yayınları No:494, İzmir.
-
Kırca, S., and Kırca, L., (2025). Gürağaç Village, Giresun (Türkiye) Determination of Phenotypic Diversity in Wild Pear Genotypes by Pomological and Biochemical Analyses. In Biology and Life Sciences Forum (Vol. 51, No. 1, p. 5). MDPI.
-
Kundu, A., and Vadassery, J., (2019). Chlorogenic acid‐mediated chemical defence of plants against insect herbivores. Plant Biology, 21(2), 185-189.
-
Layne, E. C., Quamme, H. A., (1975). Advances in Fruit Breeding, By Jules Janick and James Moore, Purdue Unıversty Press, West Lafayette, Indiana, p. 38-70.
-
Lin, D., Xiao, M., Zhao, J., Li, Z., Xing, B., Li, X., & Chen, S., (2016). An overview of plant phenolic compounds and their importance in human nutrition and management of type 2 diabetes. Molecules, 21(10), 1374.
-
Martínez, G., Regente, M., Jacobi, S., Del Rio, M., Pinedo, M., & de la Canal, L., (2017). Chlorogenic acid is a fungicide active against phytopathogenic fungi. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 140, 30-35.
-
Mierziak, J., Kostyn, K., & Kulma, A., (2014). Flavonoids as important molecules of plant interactions with the environment. Molecules, 19(10), 16240-16265.
-
Mirik., (2000). Fire Blight of Pome Fruits (Erwinia amylovora (Burrill) Winslow et al.) and Search for Resistant or Tolerant Cultivars in Amasya and Tokat Regions in Turkey. Trakya Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, MSc. Thesis, 82 p, Tekirdağ.
-
Nicholson, R. L., and Hammerschmidt, R., (1992). Phenolic compounds and their role in disease resistance. Annual review of phytopathology, 30(1), 369-389.
Ninkuu, V., Yan, J., Fu, Z., Yang, T., Ziemah, J., Ullrich, M. S. & Zeng, H., (2022). Lignin and its pathway-associated phytoalexins modulate plant defense against fungi. Journal of Fungi, 9(1), 52.
-
Núñez-Lillo, G., Lillo-Carmona, V., Pérez-Donoso, A. G., Pedreschi, R., Campos-Vargas, R., & Meneses, C., (2024). Fruit sugar hub: gene regulatory network associated with soluble solids content (SSC) in Prunus persica. Biological Research, 57.
-
Ölmez, A.K., (2022). Determinatıon of Fire Blight Susceptibility of Some Pear Varieties and Genotypes by Chemical Analysis, ESOGÜ. Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, MSc Thesis, 50p, Eskişehir.
-
Paulson, K. N., and Stevens, M. A., (1974). Relationships among titratable acidity, pH and buffer composition of tomato fruits. Journal of Food Science, 39(2), 354-357.
-
Peil, A., Bus, V. G., Geider, K., Richter, K., Flachowsky, H., & Hanke, M. V., (2009). Improvement of fire blight resistance in apple and pear. Int J Plant Breed, 3(1), 1-27.
-
Polat, M., Okatan, V., Güçlü, S.F., Çolak, A.M., (2018). Determination of Some Chemical Characteristics and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Apple Varieties Grown in Posof/Ardahan Region. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Food Sciences, 2018, 2(4): 131-134.
-
Pu, Y., Cai, F., Wang, D., Wang, J. X., Chen, J. F., (2018). Colloidal synthesis of semiconductor quantum dots toward large-scale production: a review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(6), 1790-1802.
-
Ramaroson, M. L., Koutouan, C. E., Ghaziri, A. E., Baltenweck, R., Claudel, P., Hugueney, P., & Geoffriau, E., (2025). Flavonoid compounds as a way to identify sources of carrot resistance to Alternaria leaf blight. Molecular Breeding, 45(6), 55.
-
Selçuk, N., Erkan, M., (2016). Impact of Passive Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Physicochemical Properties, Bioactive Compounds, and Quality Attributes of Sweet Pomegranates, Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 40(4): 475-488.
-
Skłodowska, M., Mikiciński, A., Wielanek, M., Kuźniak, E., Sobiczewski, P., (2018). Phenolic profiles in apple leaves and the efficacy of selected phenols against fire blight (Erwinia amylovora), Eur J Plant Pathol (2018) 151:213–228.
-
Sobiczewski, P., Deckers, T., Pulawska, J., (1997). Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora), Some Aspects of Epidemiology and Control. Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture Skierniewice, Poland, 84 p.
-
Spinola, V., Mendes, B., Camara, J.S., Castilho, P.C., (2013). Effect of Time and Temperature on Vitamin C Stability in Horticultural Extracts, UHPLC-PDA vs Iodometric Titration as Analytical Methods, LWT-Food Science ve Technology, 50(2): 489-495.
-
Thibault, B., Lecomp, P., Hermann, L., Belouin, A., (1987). Assesment of the Susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora of the 90 Varieties or Selections of Pear, Acta Hort., 217, 305-309.
-
Thibault, B., Lezec, M.L., (1990). Agrimed research programme. Fireblight of Pomoidae (E. amylovora Burrill, Winslow et. al.), Applied Research in Europe (1978-88) EUR-12601, 96-109.
-
Ullah, C., Unsicker, S. B., Fellenberg, C., Constabel, C. P., Schmidt, A., Gershenzon, J., & Hammerbacher, A., (2017). Flavan-3-ols are an effective chemical defense against rust infection. Plant physiology, 175(4), 1560-1578.
-
Yadav, V., Wang, Z., Wei, C., Amo, A., Ahmed, B., Yang, X., & Zhang, X., (2020). Phenylpropanoid pathway engineering: An emerging approach towards plant defense. Pathogens 9 (4): 312.
-
Yin, H., Wu, J., Fan, J., Xu, L., Zhang, W., Li, Q. & Zhang, S., (2024). Profiling of soluble sugar compositions in mature fruits of a diverse pear (Pyrus spp.) germplasm by UPLC. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 132, 106281.
-
Wallis, C. M., & Galarneau, E. R. A., (2020). Phenolic compound induction in plant-microbe and plant-insect interactions: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in plant science, 11, 580753.
-
Wang, D., Lu, Q., Jin, S., Fan, X., & Ling, H., (2023). Pectin, lignin and disease resistance in Brassica napus L.: an update. Horticulturae, 9(1), 112.
-
Xu, L., & Wang, X., (2025). A Comprehensive Review of Phenolic Compounds in Horticultural Plants. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(12), 5767.
-
Xu, Y., Zhang, T., Mu, S., Peng, Y., Wu, D., Yang, L. & Zhang, J., (2025). Discovery of Arbutin as Novel Potential Antiviral Agent Against Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73(7), 3967-3976.